Paper short abstract:

Migration is supposed to bring about 'development' and improvements in people's wellbeing but this seems to be the case for only a few. A comparative case study of rural, urban and peri-urban areas in Bolivia suggests that only a few benefit.

Paper long abstract:

Migration is supposed to bring about 'development' and improvements in people's wellbeing but this seems to be the case for only a few. In this paper I approach the question about the relationship between migration and inequality by analysing how migrants' parents in different parts of the same country fare after their children have migrated abroad. Despite significant regional differences and different migration trajectories, findings from this comparative case study of rural, urban and peri-urban areas in Bolivia suggests that migrants' parents in urban and peri-urban areas tend to benefit the most from their children's migrations. Those in rural areas, on the other hand, tend to find themselves in very vulnerable situations, with deteriorating health, poor access to health and other services, weak support networks, and an inability to sustain their livelihoods amidst the absence of the younger generation. In this paper I use this findings to question the extent to which transnational care is available to ageing parents who remain in the country of origin. The paper suggests that when inequalities of class, residence and gender are brought into the equation, this brings to light some fundamental limitations of the transnational care framework.